Electrical connecter



March 9, 1937. G. OLSON ELECTRICAL GONNECTER Filed May 10, 1932[Tu/emf)?" 361027262" 021507:

Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL GONNECTERGunner Olson, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 10, 1932, Serial No. 610,359

2 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical circuits, and includes among itsobjects and advantages the provision of an improved socket connection.

My primary object is the construction of an electric contact socketwherein the channels for the reception of plug prongs are definitely re;stricted to a minimum clearance, and the prongs are maintained at asubstantially defined position in the channel independent of the uniformpressure of a contact element in the socket.

Another object is the construction of a socket wherein a resilientcontact element is maintained in uniform pressure upon the plug prongbut suffers no deterioration of its integrity by reason of a crushingeffect of a plug prong.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a sectional view of a socket;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the socket of Figure 1;

In Figures 1, 2, and 3 I have illustrated a socket construction. Thissocket comprises a body portion 5 having slots 6 for freely receivingthe usual prongs associated with standard plugs, said slots havingflared openings 1. Companion recesses 8 communicate with the slots 6,said recesses extending to points 12 distant from the outlets of theslots, the botom end of each recess being curved 9 to provide acompressional bearing for a resilient contact element I0. These contactelements Ill are substantially ogee shaped in the slots and recesseshaving an arcuate portion ll arranged to frictionally engage the plugprongs when the plug and socket are coupled, and an arcuate portion Ila.in contact with the curve 9 to increase the compressional contact on theprongs when inserted in the slot 6.

Referring to Figure 2 it will be noted that the recesses 8 are narrowerthan the slots 6, so that the walls of the slots 6 guide the insertedprongs on four sides, the portions l3 of the walls adjacent the recesses8 forming bridge bearings for the travel thereon of contact prongs,thereby eliminating the necessity for the spring terminals I Iperforming any guiding function. This construction protects the springterminals from becoming damaged by the plug prongs, which frequentlyoccurs when the plug is not coupled in the socket with its prongsexactly parallel with the slots in the socket. This is particularly truein socket constructions having resilient contact elements designed tocompensate for wear and dimensional variations to the end that goodcontact may be had. In other words, the resilient contact elements arefrequently bent to the extent that they lose their resiliency, therebymaking it impossible to secure good electrical connection between theplug prongs and the resilient contact elements. In my construction, theresilient contact elements perform no function other than to insure goodelectrical contact. The pressure of the arcuate portions l I upon theinserted prongs is never more than the natural tension of the resilientcontact elements.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain myinvention that others may, by applying knowledge current at the time ofapplication, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions ofservice.

I claim:

1. An electrical socket of the type described having a pair of spacedapart slots extending longitudinally through the socket, these saidslots being rectangular in cross section and parallel with each otherlongitudinally, a dividing wall between the said slots, the saiddividing Wall having a recess portion either side thereof communicatingfrom a slot inwardly toward the other slot, said recess portionsextending downwardly from a position spaced apart from the entry portsof the said slots, the said recess portions being of lesser width thanthe slot wall which is recessed, seated in each recess a resilientmember substantially ogee shaped in formation having its individualattachment to an external contact member on the socket, the width ofsaid resilient member being slightly less than the recess portion of itschannel and having a free terminal portion adapted to sink into a recessportion when pressure is brought to bear upon it, there being a portionnormally extending into its communicating slot, and means in the lowerportion of each recess to automatically intensify the force of theresilient member upon a plug prong.

2. In an electrical contact socket a pair of slots therethrough adaptedto receive standard plug prongs, said slots being rectangular in crosssection and of equal dimensions, there being a dividing wall between thesaid slots having on either side thereof a recess communicating with itsadjacent slot each said recess being narrower than its slot wallproviding a pair of opposing ledges along each of said recesses in thedividing wall, a flexible contact member of substantially ogee formationbasically resting in each re cess and having fixed attachment to anexternal portion of the socket, each of said flexible contact membershaving a free end portion shaped to project into the slot and sink intoa recess of the dividing wall when pressure is brought to bear upon thatportion of the flexible member projecting into the channel of the slot,the lower end of each recess being curved outwardly to form a fulcrumand automatically increase the pressure exerted on the plug prong whenthe said plug prong is pressed into the socket.

GUNNER OLSON.

